


(So Pretty With Their) Button-Up Shirts

by writerwithacat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24009286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerwithacat/pseuds/writerwithacat
Summary: Alya and Marinette have a sleepover. They raid Marinette’s closet.
Relationships: Alya Césaire/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	(So Pretty With Their) Button-Up Shirts

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from the song girls by girl in red.

Marinette lingered by the doorway, fidgeting with her jacket. The doorbell suddenly rang. She nearly tripped as she hurried to open the door. 

"Alya! Come in!” 

Alya stood outside, a large bag hanging from her shoulder. Her phone was sticking out from her jean pockets, her hand the only thing keeping it in place. 

Alya stepped inside. “Hey girl!” She hugged Marinette. Her overstuffed bag knocked against their legs.

"Let’s go up to my room,” Marinette said with a smile, “you can put down that Godzilla of a bag.” 

Alya laughed. “It’s not that big! I’m just bad at packing.”

"That doesn’t make it any better!” Marinette started up the stairs to her room. Alya stuck out her tongue and followed. 

Marinette helped Alya pull her bag up through the trapdoor and set it beside the chaise lounge. 

Alya sat down on the chaise lounge. “So, are you working on anything right now?”

"Not really,” Marinette answered, nodding at her bare dress form, “but I’ve been sketching and I have some ideas that I might do something with.” 

"Whatever you make will be _amazing_ , as always,” Alya said. She got up and opened Marinette’s closet doors. “I mean, look! Your sense of style? Incredible.”

"Well, you’re really pretty too!” Marinette said without thinking. She blinked. “Uh, you know… Your face— I mean, your fashion sense! It’s… Good.” She walked up to the closet and stared at one of her favourite shirts, resolutely ignoring the embarrassed heat in her cheeks without knowing why. “But thank you.”

Alya pulled out a long wine red skirt and held it out appraisingly. “Do you think this’d look cute on me?” 

"It would look fantastic on you.” Marinette suddenly clapped her hands together. “You should try it on!” 

Alya slipped it on over her jeans and twirled. The skirt spread out as she spun, hitting Marinette’s legs. Marinette giggled and stepped backwards. 

Alya dizzily came to a stop and grabbed Marinette’s arm to steady herself. Her smile was nearly as big as her bag. “Let’s have a fashion show.”

"Like, try on my clothes?”

"Mmhmm. It’ll be so cool!” 

Marinette grinned and started looking through her closet. She took out a white button-up shirt. “This would look cute with that skirt.” 

Alya pulled out a simple short-sleeved pale pink dress that reached Marinette’s knees. “This would look amazing on you!” She took the shirt from Marinette and gave her the dress. 

Marinette slipped into the bathroom to change. When she returned, Alya had changed as well. Alongside the shirt and flowing skirt, she had found a silky red chiffon scarf. In Marinette’s opinion, she looked absolutely gorgeous. 

"Woah, you look incredible!”

"Girl, have you looked at yourself?” Alya said. 

Marinette laughed, embarrassed, and stared down at her dress. Alongside the dress, she’d decided to wear the same black jacket she typically wore. 

"What should we try on next?” Alya asked, already turning back to the closet. 

Marinette hurried to catch up to her. “I have something that reminds me of you,” she said. She grabbed a peach dress and white belt out of the back of her closet and presented them to Alya. 

"I love it,” Alya proclaimed, “I’m going to try them on right now.” She hugged the clothing close, the belt dangling over her arms.

"Go change in the bathroom,” Marinette said. “I’m going to try and find something for me to wear.” 

Alya scurried off to the bathroom while Marinette looked through the closet. She took out a short white dress before noticing a tan romper. Hesitantly, she put back the dress. _I wonder which Alya would think is cute,_ she thought.

Marinette held the romper up against herself in front of the mirror. After a moment of deliberation, she remembered Alya would be returning soon and quickly slipped it on. 

"Hey, Marinette?” 

Marinette startled. She’d hadn’t noticed Alya entering. She turned to face her. “Yes?” 

"Oh. Sure!”

Alya turned around so that Marinette could see the buttons. She began to carefully do them up. She felt her skin grow warm. Her fingers were nearly brushing Alya’s back. She did up the last button. 

"Thanks!” Alya said, stepping away. “So… What do you think?” She spun around so she was facing Marinette, grinning and playing with one of the curls that framed her hazel eyes like water flowing around stones peeking out of a river. 

"Beautiful,” Marinette blurted. Her eyes widened and she blinked rapidly once she realized what she’d said. She wanted to run away and become a mime. “Uh— I mean, you look amazing, Alya!” 

"You look beautiful too,” Alya said. “Have you always owned that?” 

Marinette felt like she was going to explode. _She called me beautiful. Oh my god. I’m having a crisis._ Marinette tried to smile calmly. She was pretty sure she looked like a dying clown instead. “Thank you! It’s new.”

"Kids, it’s time for dinner,” Tom Dupain-Cheng said, popping his head through the trapdoor. “Oh, have you girls been dressing up?” 

"Yeah,” Marinette said without turning to look, “We’ll be down in a second, Papa.” She heard the sound of the trapdoor shutting. 

"No, you can wear it for now.” Marinette had to pull her gaze away from Alya. She opened the trapdoor and went downstairs. Alya followed right behind her. 

They sat down beside each other at the table. Alya quickly launched into a ramble about the wonders of Ladybug. Marinette felt herself focusing more on Alya than the conversation. 

Soon, their plates were empty except for a few crumbs. Their conversation continued. It was apparent to anyone listening that Alya was a huge fan of Ladybug. 

Marinette knew she did a lot of good as Ladybug. She was a literal superhero. But it was one thing to know and another thing entirely to hear one of the most important people in the world to her say it out loud. She felt a warm feeling in her chest, a mixture of pride and embarrassment. She felt loved. 

She wished she could tell Alya how much she did for Paris (for Ladybug, for her) with the Ladyblog. She wished she could convey how much she loved Alya back. But she knew that’s not what best friends were supposed to feel about each other, so she swallowed her words and wished that Alya could know how much she cared. 

"Marinette and I are going to head back up to her room,” Alya said, standing up from her seat. “Thank you for the lovely dinner!”

"Have fun, girls,” Sabine said with a smile. 

"I’ll be up in a second,” Marinette said. She brought her and Alya’s plates to the kitchen then turned back towards the stairs. She found Alya waiting beside the ladder up to her room. 

"Hey Marinette,” Alya said, leaning forward, “I’ve got something I want to show you.” 

"Oh? What is it?” 

Alya held a finger up to her own mouth in a shushing motion. “Not yet! I’ll show you when we’re in your room, okay? It’s a surprise.” 

"Sure,” Marinette responded automatically. She climbed up the ladder on autopilot. Instead, her mind was whirring with wild scenarios and possibilities, her heart thumping in her chest with unwarranted hope. She didn’t know why her mind was set off at a couple words from one of her closest friends— excitement she could understand, but this was something that permeated through her entire body, a thrill that she only felt around her. 

Alya led her over to her chaise lounge and motioned for her to sit down. “Close your eyes,” she said as she knelt beside her overflowing bag.

Marinette obediently shut her eyes and waited. She could hear clothing being pushed to the floor. She focused on the rustling of Alya’s bag, trying to ignore her impatience.

“Ta-da!”

Marinette felt something being pushed into her hand. She opened her eyes to see a necklace dangling from her hand. 

It was obviously homemade, mismatched beads strung onto craft store thread. The thin, cream, thread was hard to see past all of the spherical wooden beads. They were pink and red, their sizes ranging from pea to grape. A black star-shaped plastic pendant was squished in between two of the larger beads. 

Marinette looked up to see Alya looking at her expectantly, still waiting for a response. Marinette searched for the words to describe her appreciation (she loved it, she loved her). A nervous smile adorned Alya’s face. Her red-brown waves of hair hung over the beauty mark Marinette felt tempted to trace over and over again. 

“Alya,” Marinette said, “this is… incredible.” _Nearly as incredible as you._ She slipped the necklace on over her head. “Thank you so, so, much.”

All of the quiet tension dropped away. Alya hugged Marinette like she was the last lifeboat on a sinking ship. “I’m so glad you like it.” 

Marinette was frozen, unable to move in a way no akuma could cause. She was hyperaware of everything brushing against her skin: Alya’s soft strands of hair, the bumps of the beads, the rough fabric of her romper, the silky dress Alya wore. 

In a moment of clarity, she realized how ridiculous she must look, practically immobile in the arms of her best friend, her mouth hanging open, and how amazingly happy she felt. 

She closed her eyes and hugged Alya back, smiling wider than the sun. Her chest was tight and warm, as if her feelings had been transformed into a fire. 

Maybe this wasn’t how best friends were supposed to feel about each other, but maybe (she hardly dared to think; her mind was burning brighter than her chest, than her heart) Alya could be more than a best friend.


End file.
